Inflatable toy



patented Jul-y 1,8, 1%950 INFLATABLE TOY Milton Shufer, New York, N. Y., assgnor to Plastite Inc., New YorkN. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 18, 1948, Serial No. 15,609

2 Claims.

l This invention relates to inflatable toys, and more particularly to a type which can 'be presented toithe children in the form of printed flat sheets which can be bound together into book form and be usable as such, after which they may have the illustrations on the sheets cut out and iniiated into balloon-like toys. y

An object of the invention is to provide an inflatable toy in the form of a sheet composed of two layers or plies, such sheet bearing an illustration or figure, such as an animal, doll, cartoon character or the like, the illustration being outlined by a line defining a guide by .which the illustration can be cut from the sheet,

the two sheets being fusibly united inside of the guide line, and the ligure carrying a suitable inaticn tube through which air may be projected to inflate the ligure after the same has been cut out from the sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy in the form of a book in which the pages thereof bear illustrations, which illustrations can be cut from the book by the user of the same, and which illustrations are adapted to be air-inflated to then assume the form of a toy balloon in the shape of the illustrated character.

These and other objects are attained by the invention, a more particular description of which will hereinafter appear and be set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed:

Fig. A1 is a face view of the sheet or page bearing the inflatable cut-out;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a rear View of the inflated cut-out, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the improved inflatable toy is, in its initial state, provided in the form of a sheet or page, so that when several of these sheets or pages are bound together, a book results. The pages may bear suitable illustrations and reading matter, as for example, nursery rhymes, together with a pictorial representation of one of the characters of the rhyme, and the representation of such character is arranged to be cut out of the sheet and inflated to form a toy balloon. The sheet in its page-like form, is shown in Fig. 1, wherein it will be noted that it is composed oi two plies oi sheet material,

such as plastic, rubber, treated fabric, or any other suitable sheet material impervious to air so that when inflated it will retain the air conlined Within it. The face ply is indicated at I, and the rear ply at 2, the two plies being preferably, but not necessarily of the same shape.

Provided on the front face of the ply indicated at l is a pictorial representation 3 of a character, which might be an animal, doll, cartoon character or person, and on the face of the ply l may be printed suitable wording relating to the picture 3. The pictorial representation `3 has its outline dened by a joinder line or seal 5 which unites the two plies l and 2, or attaches them together along said line. On the outside of the line of joinder 5 is indicated a severance line 6, showing the user of the book how the ligure 5 maybe cut out of the sheet to provide an inflatable body or balloon, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It will be noted that the indicated severance line 6 is located beyond the sealing line 5 so that when the gure is cut out of the sheet on the line 6, it will result in two plies joined together around the edge only of the figure, leaving projecting unconnected edges or flanges Ba beyond the joint 5.

The rear ply 2 is provided with a nipple or tube l located at the back of the Figure 3, and through which air may be blown to inflate the figure, substantially as shown in Fig. 4. When the Ifigure is inflated to balloon-like form, the nipple 'i can be closed in any suitable manner, such as by tying it with cord or with a rubber band, or it can be doubled over and inserted under a disk-like reinforcement or patch 8 secured to the back of the ply 2 around the nipple l.

The sealing or joinder line 5 may be produced in any suitable manner, according to the nature of the material employed for the production of the sheet or page. If a plastic material is employed, an electronic sealing machine can be used for fusibly uniting the two plies along the line 5, resulting in a secure joinder of the two plies around the outline of the Figure 3.

In the embodiment of the invention, it will .be noted that the portions of the two plies beyond the seam or joint 5 and toward the edges of the sheet are unattached. lf desired, these portions o the plies can be joined together, and particularly along the marginal edges of the same. to thereby facilitate the handling and turning over of the pages when a number of the same are bound together in book formation,

The manner in which the toy is used will be readily comprehended. A number of the two-ply sheets, constructed substantially as shown in Fig. 1 can, if desired, be bound together in any suitable manner in book formation, these sheets then constituting the pages of the book, each of which will bear one or more pictorial figures and accompanying text. The child may, whenever he or she desires, cut out any of the igures, following the indicated severance line 8, and the resultant cut-out will be a gure composed of two plies united at the edges only and which can be inflated and deflated whenever desired in the manner described.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming Within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. An inflatable toy comprising, a two-ply rectangular sheet of air-impervious material and of a shape and size enabling it to serve as a page of a childs book, at least one of the plies bearing the pictorial illustration of a figure, said gure being smaller in size and of a shape differentfrom the shape of the plies constituting the page, the two plies of the sheet being fusibly united by a line extending around and dening the shape of the gure, the figure` while remaining in the sheet constituting an illustration for a book page, said figure being adapted to be cut from the sheet` on a line locatedV on the outside of the line of joinder of the two plies so that when the figure is so cut out, the line of joinder will serve to unite the two plies adjacent to the edge of the two cut-out` plies and the cut-out figure will then constitute a toy inatablerballoon in the shape ofthe illustrated gure, and an air tube in one of the plies communicating at one end with the interior of said balloon.

2. An inatable toy comprising, a two-plyk sheet of air-impervious material of a shape and size en- 4 abling it to serve as the page of a childs book, both plies of the sheet being of substantially the same size and shape, one of the plies bearing the pictorial outline of a figure, said figure being dened by a line extending around it and indicating a severance line on which the figure is to rbe cut to remove it from the sheet, a joinder line on the inside of the .severance line by which the two plies of the sheet are joined together, said joinder line serving to unite the two plies of the cut-out figure together solely along the marginal edge of the iigure so that when the gure is cut from the sheet on the severance line the gure will constitute a toy inflatable balloon in the shape of the illustrated figure, and an air tube in the back ply of said figure communicating at one end with the interior ofthe balloon.

MILTON SHUFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 136,101 Salberg Aug. 3, 1943 720,876 Atherton Feb. 17, 1903 1,057,019 Waddington Mar. 25, 1913 1,065,562 Spoerer June 24, 1913 1,442,900 OConnor Jan. 23, 1923 1,610,154 Riley et al Dec. 7, 1926 1,685,388 White Sept. 25, 1928 1,697,459 Doragi et al. Jan, 1, 1929 1,761,443 Hooper June 3, 1930 2,333,587 Saliiberg Nov. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 234,339 Great Britain May 28, 1925 334,352 Great Britain Sept. 4, 1930 

